Amos Ealey: One of Jacksonville’s ‘Original 8′ Black bus drivers dies
One of Jacksonville’s “Original 8″ Black bus drivers has died, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority announced Thursday.
Amos Ealey was one of eight bus drivers who integrated the Jacksonville Coach Company, JTA’s predecessor, in October 1960.
The JTA is saddened by the passing of Amos Ealey, one of the first African American bus drivers in the City of Jacksonville, paving the way for so many bus operators.
A trailblazer in our community, his tenacity and unshakeable spirit will always be an inspiration to all of us. pic.twitter.com/VDriw7JQLz— Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) (@JTAFLA) May 11, 2023
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In 2022, JTA spoke to Ealey about his experiences over his more than 30-year career as a bus driver. He and fellow trailblazer Algernon Roundtree, who died in February, talked about the verbal threats of violence they faced when they first started.
“It started bad, but it ended excellent. My experience was like the Negro spiritual said, ‘Every round goes higher and higher,” Ealey said.
You can watch more of Ealey and Roundtree’s conversation about their experiences in the video below:
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